Shell-and-core (stan deweloperski) or turnkey (pod klucz): what you actually get

Stan deweloperski (shell-and-core, sometimes called "developer standard") means the flat is handed over with walls, floors and installations ready for finishing, but without flooring, a fitted bathroom or kitchen. Pod klucz (turnkey) means it is finished and ready to live in. Neither term is defined by law: what you get is whatever the finishing annex of your developer agreement says, so compare that document, not the sales label.

This article is information, not advice. Prices for fit-out vary widely by city, materials and contractor; get quotes for your own flat.

What the law says

The Developer Act does not define "shell-and-core" or "turnkey". It does require that the developer agreement state the scope and standard of finishing of the flat and the building, and the prospectus must describe the finishing standard too. That description, often an annex with a list of materials, is what the developer is legally bound to deliver.

So when a sales brochure says "high developer standard", ask for the annex. When it says "turnkey", ask what exactly is in the bathroom, the kitchen and the floors, and whether the package is part of the developer agreement or a separate contract.

What shell-and-core usually includes

There is no single standard, and developers differ. The table shows what you will often, but not always, find.

Element	Often included	Often not included
Walls and ceilings	Plastered walls and ceilings	Painting, sometimes only primer
Floors	Concrete screed	Flooring, skirting, tiles
Windows	PVC or aluminium windows, sills	Blinds, internal sills in some projects
Entrance door	Front door with locks	Internal doors and frames
Electrics	Wiring to points, fuse box, sometimes sockets and switches	Light fittings, sometimes sockets
Plumbing	Water and drain pipes to points with caps	Sanitaryware, taps, shower
Heating	Radiators or underfloor heating	Thermostats in some projects
Ventilation	Ducts and vents	Kitchen hood
Balcony	Finished floor and railings	Lighting, decking

Read the annex line by line: "sockets prepared" is not the same as "sockets fitted", and "radiators" may mean panel radiators of a given type.

What turnkey can mean

"Turnkey" in Poland is used for at least three different arrangements:

1. A developer finishing package, chosen from a few design schemes, sometimes included in the developer agreement, sometimes signed as a separate contract with the developer or its partner company.
2. A finishing company recommended by the developer, contracted by you directly.
3. A flat finished as standard, especially in smaller projects or those built for rental.

Each has different consequences for who is responsible for defects and how you pay.

Watch out: payments under the developer agreement go into the escrow account and are protected by the Developer Act. A finishing package signed as a separate contract may fall outside that protection. Ask the developer to confirm in writing how the package is contracted and paid, and ask a lawyer if it is unclear.

Comparing the two options

	Shell-and-core	Turnkey
Price at signing	Lower	Higher (finishing included)
Your control over design	Full	Limited to the schemes offered
Time to move in	Weeks to months after handover	Usually soon after handover
Effort	You manage contractors or hire a manager	Little
Defects in finishing	Your contractor's responsibility	The developer's or the package provider's, depending on the contract
Financing	Fit-out often from your own pocket, unless the bank agrees to include it	Can be included in the price you finance
Handover inspection	Base finishes only	Base finishes plus all finishing work

Costs and time

Market guides in 2026 quote roughly 1,800 to 3,500 zł per m² for finishing a shell-and-core flat to a turnkey standard. That range is wide because a basic finish with standard materials and a premium finish with designer materials are different projects. Treat it as a starting point and get two or three quotes based on your floor plan. You can enter your own per-m² figure in /en/toolbox/buying-costs to see the total cost of buying.

Also budget for:

• the time between handover and moving in, during which you may pay rent elsewhere;
• kitchen appliances and furniture, which are not in most turnkey packages;
• a design project, if you want one;
• VAT on materials and labour if you buy them yourself.

Ask your bank early whether finishing costs can be included in the mortgage and what documents it would need. Banks handle this differently. Our costs guide lists the other costs of buying.

How the choice affects handover and defects

At handover you check what the developer delivered against the finishing annex. With shell-and-core, focus on flat walls and screeds, correct installation points and windows, because your fitter will build on them. Record defects before any work starts; once tiles or flooring are laid it is hard to prove that the screed was uneven. The handover checklist explains how.

After the transfer, the developer is liable under the Civil Code warranty (rękojmia) for defects in what it delivered. Work done by your own contractor is a separate matter between you and that contractor, so keep their contract, invoices and any guarantee. If your fitter damages something the developer built, expect the developer to point to your contractor rather than accept the claim.

Which suits you?

Shell-and-core tends to suit buyers who:

• want their own layout of kitchen and bathroom;
• have time, or someone local to supervise contractors;
• want to spread spending over time.

Turnkey tends to suit buyers who:

• live abroad or far from the flat;
• plan to rent it out soon (see renting out a new-build flat);
• prefer a single price and a single counterparty.

Whichever you choose, the decisive document is the same: the finishing annex. The step-by-step purchase guide shows where it fits in the process.

Check before you sign

1. Read the finishing annex and list anything you expected but cannot find.
2. Check whether materials are named by brand or "or equivalent", and who decides what is equivalent.
3. For turnkey: confirm whether the package is in the developer agreement and paid into escrow.
4. Ask for the finishing timetable and what happens if it is late.
5. Get your own fit-out quotes before you compare prices of shell-and-core and turnkey flats.